Fools for a Bald Spot
by Dee Grainger
Summary: Chaos surrounds the Shiloh ranch as Elizabeth is embarrassed by a bald spot and a prankster is playing himself for a fool.


The front door slams shut, Elizabeth Grainger storms into the living room where her Aunt is taking her afternoon tea. "If one more person tells me how much they like my new hairdo I swear I'm going to bite their head off."

"Honey, don't get so upset with them, the boys only want to make you feel better and besides if they hadn't came to your rescue you could have been hung up in that wringer a long time before your Uncle Clay and I got back from town." Holly reminds her.

"I know, but the compliments are getting to be annoying. Trampas can't even look me in the face without laughing when he says how good I look." Liz chuckles.

"See, if he has you laughing about it, too, then you'll be just fine." Holly smiles at her niece.

Later at the dinner table the two women are clearing the table as Clay and his foreman enjoy a cup of coffee, Elizabeth brings each of the men back a plate with a big slice of chocolate cake on it. As she sits the plates beside them they smile at her and look at one another with a smirk. She is self conscious about covering her recently acquired bald spot, but the large pink bow seems to suit the purpose well.

"You guys act like you never seen me wear a pony tail before. Do I look that funny?" She begins to sob.

The Virginian says, "Of course you don't look funny. We just aren't use to you giving us a second piece of cake without us asking for one is all." He looks at Clay.

Clay picks up his fork. "Thanks honey, I'm plenty full, but I'll see if I can find room for it."

Holly shakes her head, "You may have to put another notch in your belt if you keep eating like that."

Elizabeth says, "I forgot I already gave you cake. Sorry I can't seem to think straight. I just thought if you guys thought I looked funny I sure don't want to go outside like this."

"We ain't running no beauty contest. It's just Shiloh people here anyhow. You tell me if one of them pokes fun at ya and I'll see that they apologize to ya." The foreman assures her.

She frowns at him. "Sounds like you expect they will. No don't say anything to them. This is embarrassing enough. I still can't believe I caught my hair in the wringer and couldn't free myself. I've pulled that thing apart many times to free stuff I got stuck in it."

The next day Holly helps Elizabeth put her hair up in a bun that hides the bald spot rather well. The two go outside to finish washing the bed sheets. This time Holly uses the wringer and Elizabeth hangs them on the line. No problems and if there had been they were prepared with a hammer to loosen its grip.

They not much more than finish their chore when the women hear the rumble of hooves against the earth letting them know the cowhands were done for the day.

Clay dismounts by the front steps and hands the reigns to Jim Horn. "Take care of my horse, will you Jim?"

Elizabeth meets him on the steps with a bundle of fresh towels for the bunkhouse. "Uncle Clay, Aunt Holly has water heating for you a bath."

He smiles at her, "Well, then I hope you left us some fresh towels at the house, too."

She shakes her head, "You know I did."

Trampas meets Elizabeth at the door to the bunkhouse. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes, Liz. Thanks for the clean towels."

Elizabeth frowns, "A sight for sore eyes, what do you mean by that."

He looks at her with one of his devilish grins, "Oh, just mean it's been a dusty trail today and even though I got half of Wyoming in my eyes you still look great. Don't you agree, Jim?"

Jim stutters, "Um um, yeah I'd say that. For sure I'd say that." Jim winks at Trampas as Elizabeth leaves to assure the intentions to humor her are understood.

A couple of days go by. As the Graingers are finishing their breakfast, Clay asks, "You lady folk like to ride to town with me this morning? It's been a spell since anyone has gone for the mail and I really can't spare any of the guys to go til we get the branding done."

At first the young one hesitates to answer him, "Yes! I really want to check out the new shipment of fabric at the mercantile. Aunt Holly can you help me with my hair again?"

Holly says to her husband, "We'll be ready in a few minutes, dear." She follows her niece up the stairs.

Later in town, the sheriff greets them as they walk down the street. "How is everything at Shiloh these days? I haven't seen any of you folks in quit sometime."

Clay smiles at him, "Fine, everything's fine."

Holly says, "Liz and I will be in the mercantile Clay when you're ready to leave. Nice seeing you, Sheriff."

They no more than leave the men when a gust of wind nearly shoves them down the street. They manage to get inside the store and dust themselves off. Holly has a surprised look on her face, "My where did that come from? Sure wasn't expecting that today. You okay, dear?"

Elizabeth takes off her scarf to see if her hair is still in place. "Aunt Holly, you think the wind will stop time we leave town? Maybe I better tie my scarf tighter and you may want a scarf instead of that hat. Good thing you had a hold on it."

"Yes, you are right. It's time I had a new scarf. What do you think of this one?" She picks out a brown paisley print.

By the time Clay Grainger came into the store the women had several packages wrapped in paper on the counter. He chuckles. "I see I'm just in time. You're done shopping already. We better get going before the wind picks up again."

Holly says, "No need to wrap the scarf, Mr. Howard, I'll wear it. Thank you." She ties the scarf under her chin and the three head out the door.

As they reach their buggy tied nearby, the sheriff steps up to offer his help with the packages. It is still somewhat windy. His hat flies off and as he retrieves it he reveals a rather large bald spot on the back of his head. Elizabeth can't help but stare at him. "What you looking at young lady? You never saw a bald head before?"

Elizabeth blushes, "I'm so sorry. I know better than to stare at people, but I never knew you had a bald spot."

He laughs, "Yep and darn proud of it. My grandpa always said anyone needs a little bald spot so the brain can absorb more knowledge. That hair blocks more than the sun ya know."

She smiles at him, "Thank you for telling me that story. Now I won't feel so embarrassed about the one I have."

The sheriff shakes his head, "No, never would have guessed you have a bald spot, Miss Grainger."

She explains, "I had an encounter with a wringer while washing my clothes. It left a bald spot bigger than yours is. I'm surprised Trampas hasn't bragged to you about how he and the boys had to rescue me."

The sheriff smiles, "I haven't seen him. I haven't even seen the Virginian in over week. I reckon they've been busy."

Clay chuckles, "They'll be here Saturday night. Be easy on them, will ya? They got a lot of catching up to do with their social life. I trust my boys don't act too much like animals when they come to town. They work hard. They should play hard now and then."

The ride home was fair and the strong winds they saw in town luckily had not followed them. As they near Shiloh they see a man riding up fast. It was Jim Horn, one of their younger cowhands and he has a calf draped over his horse in front of him.

Clay says. "What's wrong with the calf, Jim?"

Jim rides up beside them. "Nothing is wrong with him, but he has the Double Ring brand. How you suppose it wondered this far without its momma. I can't find any others like that. Should I take him home or let him go to see where he ends up?"

Clay shakes his head, "What did the Virginian tell you to do with it?"

Jim looks at him, "He said to ask you. You might want to go with me to the Double Ring and see what they say about it."

Clay nods his head, "Wait for me to get my horse. We'll see if we can get to the bottom of this."

Clay greets his old friend and dismounts to shake his hand. "Marvin sure is good to see you. Sorry this isn't a social call. We found a calf wondered onto Shiloh with your brand on him. We can't quite understand how it got that far from home. We haven't found its mother. He doesn't seem too poor so likely he found himself a cow that let him nurse."

Marvin looks at him. "Clay, I think he had a ride over there about like he's had a ride back. Ain't no calf that size going to wonder off no ten miles. How well you know your help? You got any new ones over there for branding? I got some I can't say I know real well. Pickings were slim this year finding cow punchers. Not sure why any of them would cart a calf to the wrong ranch if that's what happen. Or why one of them might change the brand either."

Clay shakes his head, "I do have a few I'm not well acquainted with. Jim may have got the story on them by now. Did you find out anything we should know about them, Jim?"

Jim spoke up, "Well the two brothers ya hired, Art and Gordon claim they only had farming experience when they came to Shiloh. Nothing wrong with learning fast I suppose, though it seems they aren't green horns like they say they are. Other than that I can't say any wrong about none of them. I'll try and keep an ear open."

Marvin says, "I can't see why any of them would put my brand on your herd or try mixing any of mine in with yours. This calf wouldn't have been born yet when we were using the same open range. Geez, think we ought to let the sheriff know we got something odd going on? Sure do thank ya, Clay for coming over, but that could be your calf."

Clay chuckles, "We'll leave him with you. How about you and Mary coming for supper tonight? I'll have somebody invite the sheriff. We can fill him in then. Holly will be happy to see you and Mary. Can we expect you around six or so?"

Marvin smiles, "Mary would like that. We rarely get far from home. Thanks Clay."

It's a lovely evening, a delicious meal with old friends and while the ladies take tea in the living room. The men depart to the den. Shiloh's foreman joins them.

The sheriff is extra curious as to why they wanted to talk to him. "So now you got me out here gentlemen can I ask what you got bothering ya. Your message said urgent meeting at Shiloh, Bring your appetite. I know by now there's more beef to be concerned about than what I had on my plate. You got rustlers?"

The Virginian laughs, "What would make you think that? No we just got a mystery to solve. We had a newborn calf ten miles from where it should have been. A Double Ring brand on a calf at Shiloh, just a calf all alone, that is getting his stomach full by whatever momma will have him. How you think he got there? Think he got the brand here or someone brought him here from the Double Ring ranch?"

Marvin speaks up, "Clay and I have been friends since the war, only neighbors for a few years, but at any rate, not out to steal from each other, that's for sure. Tell us sheriff you think someone's got something to gain by trying to confuse us? Why?"

The sheriff shakes his head. "I'll look into it. Sounds like someone is yanking your chain. Who would gain if you were enemies?"

A few weeks go by. Nothing more is disturbed at either ranch. Shiloh gets a visitor, along comes a wagon of pots and pans a local peddler named Otis is trying to sell. Otis has extra goods this trip and hands the Virginian a collection of branding irons one from each of the local ranchers, except Marvin's for the Double Ring.

Otis stutters, "Had one of those too, too, too, but a fella you call Bel-bel-belden bought it. He said April Fool's day is-is-is coming soon and this will cause a huge ruck-uck-us."

The Virginian warns, "Otis, you can't sell branding irons like they are monograms. We all make our own. You know that and for good reason. Mainly rustlers. I'll take the one for Shiloh. See the rest get to their rightful owner. You may want to stop in town and have the sheriff go with you. And hope no one wants to have you arrested for assisting in cattle rustling."

Clay says, "Today is March 29th. Guess, we got a couple days to come up with something that will make our prankster do some thinking."

The Virginian smiles, "Yes, we do. What you think, maybe make him think we caught a rustler?"

Clay nods, "Yes, we'll string him up by his feet til his brain starts working again. If it ever did work."

They both laugh.

Clay adds, "Or see if he can get his hair caught in a wringer. I'm sure you guys got washing to do. All in fun, of course, he does like a good laugh."


End file.
